1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a service level agreement (hereinafter called the “SLA”) monitoring system and a monitoring method using the same in a network service scheme in which a plurality of users conclude a contract with a provider, which provides network services using a provider network, for a service level agreement which defines the quality of network services, so that the users utilize the network services by use of a plurality of user networks interconnected through the provider network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, users who wish to utilize a network service often conclude an SLA contract with a provider which provides the network service for defining the quality of the network service before they begin utilizing the network service.
The SLA provides a variety of criteria for the quality of a network service and sets a guaranteed value for each criterion, such that if the provider violates the SLA, for example, provides the network service of a quality below the guaranteed level, the provider shall compensate the user for damage caused by the SLA violation.
It is anticipated that in the future, it will become more general than in the past that the SLA is executed mutually between providers and users.
However, the SLA which defines the quality of a network service, as mentioned above, has problems as follows.
Since the quality of a network service is presented with a design value of a network system offered by a provider and measurements performed by the provider for supporting the design value, no fair determining means exists for determining to which extent the SLA is achieved.
Upon occurrence of a violation of the SLA such as a degraded network service, interrupted service and so on, the user himself must take the steps necessary to claim compensation for damage, so that the user is burdened with a complicated procedure for claiming the compensation.